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| Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan in Creed |
This is riveting mainstream filmmaking of the highest order, that cements director Ryan Coogler's status as one of the most exciting up-and-coming filmmakers in Hollywood.
His first major film, the Oscar Grant biopic Fruitvale Station, was a little-seen masterpiece. And Coogler brings the same realism and frank honesty of that movie to this much more commercial project and strikes gold. This, along with Mad Max: Fury Road, is a reboot that draws on everything fans love about the original films, while bringing something entirely new to the table.
Actor Michael B. Jordan is the new lead, and he is sensational. For years, Hollywood has been searching for the "next Denzel," the gold standard in black leading men. Several actors have stepped up to the plate and whiffed (*cough" Terrence Howard *cough*), and lately some British actors like Idris Elba and Chiwetel Ejiofor have appeared to seize the mantle, but not so fast.
Coming off a big flop in the latest Fantastic Four reboot, Jordan comes out blazing in Creed, creating a vulnerable, but fierce unforgettable hero that in theory could sustain his own series of films. His partnership with Coogler has the same electric charge as Scorsese and De Niro's did 30 to 40 years ago.
But perhaps the biggest revelation of Creed is the performance of Sylvester Stallone. He gives a truly Oscar worthy performance as his most lovable character -- Rocky Balboa. Say what you will about his filmography as a whole, he always plays the hell out of this character. With the exception of the off-key Rocky V, I consider every other Italian Stallion movie fantastic. But in this one, he wisely plays his age (69!) and for the first time ever allows himself to appear frail on screen.It's shocking to see Stallone appear so weak and unglamorous. Gone is the macho posturing of The Expendables and in its place is a stripped down and emotional performance that shows off how compelling this man could have been had his career taken a different direction.
This is a throwback to his underrated work in CopLand, and it should force audiences to look at him in a totally new way.
But how does Creed match up against the originals? It's hard. It certainly is the most visually dynamic of the series -- Coogler stages incredible fight scenes in one shot, something I've never seen before -- but it's also a more somber and realistic film than any Rocky film since the original. But the Stallone-penned films have a lot of bravado and action, that has become justifiably iconic. So like I said, it's hard, but here goes:
1) Rocky (1976): Ranking this one first is a no brainer for me. Not only is it one of my all-time favorites (and something akin to "our movie" with my fiancee) but it's the movie that creates the whole world based in Philadelphia that makes all of the subsequent films possible. The Rocky-Adrian romance is wonderful, the Rocky-Apollo rivalry is great and the friendship between Rocky and Mickey is key. Paulie may be the most useless character in cinema history, but he's entertaining.
2) Creed (2015): This new classic squeaks into second due to its sheer originality. It manages to do what I thought was impossible, both make Rocky relevant again (although 2006's Rocky Balboa was a tender and terrific send-off for the character in the ring) and bring something fresh to the boxing genre. The entire cast is kinetic and there really isn't a single thing I'd change about this crowd pleaser.
3) Rocky II (1979): Stallone took over the directing reigns in this one and works wonders with the story of the inevitable rematch between Creed and Balboa. Interestingly he sticks with the gritty, dramatic tone of the original here, showing Rocky's struggle to establish a life outside of the ring, while also showing Creed's battle to redeem his image. The final bout is brutal and it's suspenseful finish is epic. This sequel really reaches the emotional heights of the first film.
4) Rocky III (1982): With the casting of Mr. T as the antagonist, the series creeps a little closer to camp territory here, but there's so many great things in the movie, I can't complain. You see a more stylish somewhat cocky Rocky here, which is a cool turn for the narrative to take. SPOILER ALERT, the loss of Mickey is a real gut punch, leading to one of the most heartbreaking scenes of Stallone's career and the heart of this movie becomes the burgeoning friendship between Creed and Balboa, which is convincing.
5) Rocky Balboa (2006): Pushing 60 and reeling from a series of flops and direct-to-DVD drivel, Stallone pulled off this amazing comeback film, which defied all the jokes about an aging Rocky. Not only did he get into phenomenal shape, he brought the character back to his roots, and staged the most believable fight scene in the series up to that point. Even if the movie had its share of cheesy moments, I shed a tear when Balboa gave his final curtain call. A great film for fathers and sons.
6) Rocky IV (1985): Arguably the most over the top of the Rocky films -- Balboa appears to singlehandedly win the Cold War by beating a roid-raging monster played by Dolph Lundgren -- but it's also one of the most purely entertaining of the series. It's fast paced, leaning heavily on flashbacks and music video style cutting. But I enjoy it's absurdism and hubris. It could only work in the era in which it was released though. Today, it would be dismissed as laughable.
7) Rocky V (1990): The one Rocky film that doesn't seem be able to get anything right. I see what Stallone and company were trying to do here by trying to bring Rocky back down to earth, and giving him a plausible, albeit depressing, plot line about brain damage. But his protege in this film (played by real life boxer Tommy Gun) has no charisma and the final showdown -- a street fight -- just lacks impact. Stallone himself seems off in this movie as if he forgot how to play his signature role. Luckily over a decade later he's redeemed himself and the character.
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